Combination shower and douche



Dec. 22, 1964 z c s 3,162,193

COMBINATION SHOWER AND DOUCHE Filed Aug. 16, 1961 Flarezzaefl Zack; By 742%, 6&6; W

ATTORNEYS INVENTOR United States Patent ()fiice 3,162,193 Patented Dec. 22, 1964 3,162,193 COMBINATION SHOWER AND DOUCHE Florence B. Zacks, 7 8 E. Chestnut St., Columbus, Ohio Filed Aug. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 131,764 7 Claims. (Cl. 128-227) This invention relates to douches or syringes, either rectal or vaginal, and more particularly to such devices as are capable of use in connection with a constant supply of Water.

Syringes and douching devices in general use are of two types, both intended to be used over a toilet bowl or hopper, and both are quite uncomfortable, untidy, and unsatisfactory. First, there is the so-called fountain syringe comprising a generally flat enema bag provided with a douche nozzle attachment.

In the use of this device, the usual pinch-cock is closed upon the discharge tube, the bag is filled with water and hung on a wall hook in an elevated position. The slight pressure head afforded by the elevation of the bag, and the usual dimensions of the tubing yield at best only a slight flow or trickle of water. The other device is the bulb hand syringe comprising a rubber bulb and attached douche nozzle. This appliance is filled at the wash-basin and used over the toilet by hand pressure on the bulb. This process is also untidy and generally unsatisfactory.

Other means for the purpose have been suggested but have involved elaborate plumbing installations, and as a consequence have not come into general use. Some of such devices include the provision of tubing connected to the faucets of the Wash-basin or bath tub, but the direct pressure of the house water supply is not easily controllable and may inadvertently be applied at a dangerous ly high degree.

The present invention, therefore, has for its general object the provision of a novel and improved douche device which is mueh more satisfactory than those heretofore employed, and which is tidier and more cleanly and orderly in use. The outstanding feature of novelty of the invention is the possibility of the user effecting a thorough cleansing douche at the same time she is taking a shower, the process being accomplished with a continual supply of water but not under the hazardous full pressure of the water system.

The invention, in its preferred embodiments, contemplates the provision of a novel douche bag which is adapted to be used in conjunction with the usual rose or spray nozzle of the shower-bath equipment, whether installed above a bathtub or in a shower stall. The bag is of suitable waterproof fabric or other material, such as plastic, rubber, rubberized cloth or the like, and is provided with a wide, open, upwardly directed mouth, about a portion of the periphery of which is provided a supporting web or sheet which may be of the same or similar waterproof material as the bag itself. A conventional discharge tube, terminating in a douche nozzle, is suitably connected with an opening in the lower portion of the bag.

The supporting web or sheet is preferably tapered up wardly and its restricted upper or apex end is provided with means for suitably detachably securing it to the neck of the shower nozzle, in such a manner that the shower nozzle or rose is disposed a short distance above the mouth of the bag proper so as to forcibly discharge a rather strong spray of water into the bag but so that the bag may readily overflow and preferably so that some portions of the shower water avoid the bag and descend upon the bather in the usual way.

Other objects and features of novelty will be apparent from the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view, mainly in elevation, of an installation embodying the principles of the invention, portions thereof being shown in vertical section;

FIGURE 2 is a view in front elevation of a bag and supporting means in fiat empty condition;

FIGURE 3 is a view in transverse section taken on line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view in front elevation showing a modified form of supporting or suspension means;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 being a transverse section along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of the upper end of a supporting web showing a modification in the attaching means; and

FIGURE 7 is a view in perspective of the upper end of a supporting web illustrating another embodiment of the attaching means. FIGURE 1, although a somewhat diagrammatic showing and not necessarily to actual scale, depicts one example of the practice of the invention. The wall of the bathroom is indicated at 10 and extending therefrom is the plumbing fixture 11 which terminates in a shower spray rose 12 which is usually inclined downwardly at an angle to the vertical.

Secured about the neck portion 13 of the rose 12 and suspended therefrom is a douche bag device indicated generally by the reference numeral 15, and comprising the bag 16 made of flexible material of a preferably waterproof nature such as rubber, plastic, rubberized fabric, or the like. This bag is attached to the neck 13 of the spray nozzle by means of the webbing 18, the details of which will be described presently.

Extending from the bottom of the bag by means of a suitable connection of known type is the rubber or plastic tubing 20 and secured to the remote end of the tubing is the douche nozzle 21. Flow through the tubing 20 is readily controllable by a conventional pinch cock 22.

One of the more unique features of the present invention resides in the nature, construction, and manipulation of the supporting web or sheet 18 by which the bag is suspended from the neck of the shower rose. In one embodiment of the invention (see FIGURES 1, 2 and 3) the web 13 is of a tapering or roughly triangular configuration, the edge of the web forming the base of the triangle being secured as at 24 to the upper edge of the mouth of the bag 16. In this embodiment, the length of the base along the line 24 is less than one-half the width of the flattened bag and approximately one-third of the circumference of the mouth of the bag.

The upper or blunt apex end of the web 18 may be provided with a heading or folded-over portion as at 25 adapted to be wrapped at least part way around the neck 13 of the shower nozzle, and providing a tubular passageway for the drawstring 26.

The upper portion 25 of the web 18 is applied to the neck 13 of the shower rose 12 as indicated in FIGURE 1, the drawstring 26 being tied in a suitable manner to support the whole device in the position shown. The lower edge of the webbing 18 being of less extent than the width of the bag, it does not interfere with the opening of the bag to a rather full extent by the reception of the Water from the shower rose.

The main spray 30 from the shower rose is directed somewhat at an angle so that preferably at least half of the water delivered is directed into the bag. The bag fills with water as at 31 up to the approximate level of its mouth and discharges through the tubing 20, when the pinch'cock'22 is open and furnishes a spray at the proper pressure to the douche nozzle'21'.

A certain proportion of the shower spray 30 passes beyond the mouth of the bag and descends upon the subject as -a partial shower spray indicated at 3 Thus, the user may employ the douche at the same 'tim'e she is taking a shower. a e

In FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawings there is' illustrated a -modificationof v the devicein which 'the. loweredge junction of the suspension web 18 extends around the margin of the mOuthof-the bag-16' more than half way. Otherwisetthefeatures are the same -=.1as-' those showninthe disclosure of th'e earlier embodiment In this second embodiment, the supporting-web18 must take a more arcuate form and-although it may provide a secured to the upper end of the bag and provided with means'at its upper "end" for attaching said suspending means to the neck of the shower bath rose, the vertical length of said suspending'rneans being somewhat greater than the vertical height of the rose from its 'lower end in I which said suspending meanscomprises a web of flexible material of quadrilateral contour, a lower edge somewhat sturdier support for: the bag it mayhavethe' I eifect of limiting the amount of the residual shower portion35 of the water supply Both of these embodiments are operative andit'is a matter personal-preference as to whether one has-.an advantage over the other or'not.

Although; in the two embodiments already described, the attaching means comprises the drawstring- 26; othermeans of securing the'suspensionwebbingto the neck' of the shower 'rose mayibe employedin either 'case. 'For example, in FIGURE 6 of the drawings the-upper pontion'25'of'thetwebbing 18 or- 18 may take the form 'of a reinforced fabric'strip .having mating elements 36 and 37 of a snap fastener device: secured to opposite ends thereof whereby the portion 25' maybe wrapped around the neck 1310f thershower fixture and the endssecured together-in overlapping::relationship by 'means of the snap fastener combination 36, 37. Y e

A still further modification of the attaching means'is illustrated in- FIGURE 7 of the drawings-wherethe web 18 or 18" is provided with'an upper tubular reinforc ing' collar portion 25' through which extends-the spring clip 26', the ends of which may protrude from the portion 25" and be turned :outwardly'so that they can'be readily snapped imposition around the neck 13 of the shower rose.

It :will -be' understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the embodiment illustrated and describedrherein without departing from the scope of theinvention as definediby the following claims.

l-lavinglthus described the invention, what iscl'aimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A shower,douche devicet comprising, in combina tion, a supporting structure, a shower bath spray rosehaving a neck extending from said supporting structure and serving'to i suspend said rose to extend and to face in a generally downward direction, andlrneans for supplying said rose with water under normal water supply pressure, and a douche 'bag of somewhat flexible material and provided with-a discharge tube extending from the bottom thereof and a douche nozzle carried by the remote end ofisaidtdischarge tube, said bag'having a wideupwardly-opening mouth constituting the greater portion of the upper end: of the bag'and being of'an area considerably greater. than that of the shower rose, andrmeans for suspending sa-idbag with its mouth positioned generally beneath said rose and spaced somewhat therefrom, .said suspending means having a lower end thereof being secured throughout-itslength'to aportion of the peripheral edge of the mouth ofthe bag, and the attaching means comprising a strip adapted' to surrourid the-neck of s'aid'rose. I

' 3. As an=article of manufacture, a douche bag'device adapted'for suspension from the'spray nozzleor' rose of a shower bath installation,saiddevicecomprisin'gya bag of somewhat-flexible material-and 'providedwith-a discharge-tube extending-' from the bottom thereofand a douche nozzle carried by the remote -end-of 'said'discharge tube, said bag-having a wide upwardly-opening -mouth constituting the greater portion of the upper end' of the bag and being of an area considerably; greater than that of any shower rose to which it maybe attached, suspension means for said bag-'comprising-a' web of material of quadrilateralconfiguration and having a lower edge. secured throughout'its length to a portion-of the peripheral edge of; themOuth-"ofthe bag, an upper edge of said web being shorter than saidlower'edge, and strip means positioned along saidupper edge and adapted to surround the neck of 'a 'shower rose for suspending said bag therefrom.

- 4.- Thedouche-bag device asset forth'in claim '3 'in which the length of the lower edge of said 'suspending webis less :than one-half of the periphery of the mouth of the bag; a

i 5. The douche bag device: as set forth in claim 3 in which'the length of thelower edge of said suspending web is more than'one-half of-the-periphery of the mouth of the bag.

6. The doucheibag device as: set forth in claim 3 in which said attachingrstrip means-comprises a strand References- Cited by the Examiner:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,410,367 10/46 Shapiro 12s 227 2,525,419- 10/50 Melli'n'ger et, a1 .12s 229 '2,794,2 00 6/57 Vitsky t 4 '15s LOUIS R; PRINCE, Primary Examiner. ADELE M. EAGER-,TExizminar; 

1. A SHOWER DOUCHE DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, A SHOWER BATH SPRAY ROSE HAVING A NECK EXTENDING FROM SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE AND SERVING TO SUSPEND SAID ROSE TO EXTEND AND TO FACE IN A GENERALLY DOWNWARD DIRECTION, AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING SAID ROSE WITH WATER UNDER NORMAL WATER SUPPLY PRESSURE, AND A DOUCHE BAG OF SOMEWHAT FLEXIBLE MATERIAL AND PROVIDED WITH A DISCHARGE TUBE EXTENDING FROM THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND A DOUCHE NOZZLE CARRIED BY THE REMOTE END OF SAID DISCHARGE TUBE, SAID BAG HAVING A WIDE UPWARDLY-OPENING MOUTH CONSTITUTING THE GREATER PORTION OF THE UPPER END OF THE BAG AND BEING OF AN AREA CONSIDERABLY GREATER THAN THAT OF THE SHOWER ROSE, AND MEANS FOR SUSPENDING SAID BAG WITH ITS MOUTH POSITIONED GENERALLY BENEATH SAID ROSE AND SPACED SOMEWHAT THEREFROM, SAID SUSPENDING MEANS HAVING A LOWER END SECURED TO THE UPPER END OF THE BAG AND PROVIDED WITH MEANS AT ITS UPPER END FOR ATTACHING SAID SUSPENDING MEANS TO THE NECK OF THE SHOWER BATH ROSE, THE VERTICAL LENGTH OF SAID SUSPENDING MEANS BEING SOMEWHAT GREATER THAN THE VERTICAL HEIGHT OF THE ROSE FROM ITS LOWER END TO ITS NECK AND THUS SUFFICIENT TO POSITION THE WIDE UP WARDLY-OPENING MOUTH OF THE BAG AT A LEVEL BELOW THAT OF THE ROSE, WHEREBY THE ENTIRE FLOW FROM THE ROSE IS NOT CONFINED BY THE BAG AND THE PRESSURE HEAD OF THE WATER IN THE BAG IS NOT INCREASED ABOVE THAT OF THE GRAVITY OF THE CONTENTS. 